Task Force: New Rules Needed To Tighten Gun Access by the Mentally Ill

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Wednesday, January 02, 2013
Phil Yacuboski

A gun task force set up in August on how to limit the access of guns to the mentally ill, released its recommendations Wednesday.

A gun task force created August to help limit the access of guns to the mentally ill, released its recommendations Wednesday.

The task force calls for a new process in how the state should take guns out of the hands of those who are thought to be dangerous.

If the rules are put in place, there were would be more people involved in figuring out who should have a gun, when a gun should be taken away and if it should ever be given back.

"Mental illness alone is not the greatest predictor of someone to commit violence," said Patrick Dooley, co-chair of the Task Force to Study Access of Individuals with Mental Illness to Regulated Firearms. He said the task force recommends mandatory reporting by psychiatrists, educators, and social workers should there be a threat. Police would then seize the guns and then the case would be put before a judge.

"Law enforcement has looked into it and investigated and said there is a potential here for violence, and that's backed by someone's due process rights to go before a judge to have the hearing. So, I would suggest we are erring on the side of public safety if a threat has been substantiated," Dooley said.

Dooley said there is more training needed to help people figure out what mental is and how to put together a process to restore gun rights. He also said there needs to be better training of police and education workers to identify patterns of mentally illness as well as a system to share information with those who process gun applications.

"If someone's firearms rights are going to be taken away in the first instance, there should also be due process on the back end, where someone could petition to have their gun rights restored," Dooley said.

The new recommendations will be made to the governor and to legislators who have said they plan to take up new legislation in Session 2013.